Elastic band-resistance exercising device

ABSTRACT

A contrivance for exercising one&#39;&#39;s limbs during times of immobility, wherein a carriage is movable on a frame along a reciprocal path against the resistance of a resilient member and the carriage also has structure to vary the position of the resilient member&#39;&#39;s attachment to the carriage so as to vary the force required to move the carriage along said path in accordance with manual selection.

United States Patent Inventor Ira R. Cosby Spokane, Wash.

Appl. No. 817,358

Filed Apr. 18, 1969 Patented Nov. 16, 1971 Assignee Verlin R. Kinert Spokane, Wash. a part interest ELASTIC BAND-RESISTANCE EXERCISING DEVICE 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl .1 272/82 Int. Cl A63b 21/00 Field of Search A63b/23/04: 272/82, 80, 79,58, 57

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1956 Fundom 272/58 3,421,760 1/1969 Freeman. H 272/80 FOREIGN PATENTS I 543,284 12/1955 Belgium 272/80 710,685 6/1965 Canada 272/57 832,295 6/1938 France 272/57 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerWil1iam R. Browne Att0rney Norman H. Huff ABSTRACT: A contrivance for exercising ones limbs during times of immobility, wherein a carriage is movable on a frame along a reciprocal path against the resistance of a resilient member and the carriage also has structure to vary the position of the resilient members attachment to the carriage so as to vary the force required to move the carriage along said path in accordance with manual selection.

ELASTIC BAND-RESISTANCE EXERCISING DEVICE My present invention is in the broad field of contrivances designed for physical therapy to the human body and more particularly is a device for exercising ones limbs while they are immobilized for some reason not requiring complete cessation of movements of the said limbs.

Primarily the contrivance, constituting the subject matter of this work is designed for exercising the legs, and will be described in this frame of reference, but it is readily seen that the contrivance may be employed to exercise the arms with equal facility.

Frequently, one will be immobilized of necessity or selection for such periods of time or total duration as to enfeeble the limbs. This may be caused, as by disease or injury, or may be self-imposed by selection, as when watching television over extended periods of time. Especially among the elderly is immobility detrimental to the general muscle tone.

My present invention seeks to provide a contrivance which provides means for exercising the limbs while one is otherwise immobilized and has for a principal object the provision of a contrivance which may be easily used whether the person is in a sitting or a recumbent position.

A further object is to provide a contrivance of the character described which has a frame upon which a carriage is mounted for reciprocal movements.

Yet another object is to provide said contrivance with members against which force may be applied by the limb extremities to move said carriage along a reciprocal path.

A still further object is to provide said contrivance with means for selectively varying the force required to move the carriage along its reciprocal path and thus render the exercise suitable to the need.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and meaningful during the course of the following specification when considered in association with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is graphically illustrated. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention which is to be understood only in accordance with the appended claims. Furthermore, it is to be understood that while the invention is described in one particular association, it is not my intention to unnecessarily limit the applicability of the invention, but I desire to reserve to myself the claimed invention for every use of which it is now known or subsequently discovered to be susceptible.

Other advantages and features of this invention will become apparent from the more detailed description following in which like reference numerals are employed to designate similar parts in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational line drawing showing a person in the sitting position for exercising one or both legs;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of my device and having parts broken away to show structural features;

F IG. 3 is a further enlarged top plan of the contrivance;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on a vertical plane substantially as indicated by line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section on a vertical plane substantially as indicated by line 5-5 on FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section on vertical planes as indicated by lines 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the contrivance.

The physiotherapeutic contrivance may be used upon any supporting surface as, for examples without removable legs 10, flat upon a floor or bed, or with legs 10 when it is desired to elevate the plane of the carriage 20. Obviously, if it is desired, the sets of legs 10 at one end may be employed to place the supporting frame 11 at an incline.

Frame 11 is comprised of parallel, laterally spaced Iongerons 12-12 secured together at their ends by laterally extending end members 13-13. Tie bolts 14-14 extending through the ends of the longerons 12-12 and lengthwise through the end members 13-13 thus provide a rigidity to the frame 11. Secured to the inner faces 15-15 of longerons 12- 12 are parallel rails 16-16 which are substantially U-shaped in section, but one flange 17 has a greater vertical dimension and serves to secure the respective rail 16 to the longeron by means of plural bolt and nut combinations 18. The inner flange 19 of each rail 16 serves to guide and retain movements of the carriage 20.

Carriage 20 is comprised of a flat top member 21 which is of rectangular plan configuration and extends across the frame 11 from one Iongeron 12 to the other laterally of the frame 11. Pairs of rollers 22-22 are-joumaled on spindles 23-23 at the lateral sides of carriage 20 and are companion to the rails 16- 16 to mobilize the carriage for reciprocal movements from end to end of the frame 1 l.

Laterally disposed on the carriage 20 along one defining edge I provide a fixed vertical shoulder 24 and spaced therefrom is a parallel pressure member 25. The pressure member has spaced depending dowel pins 26-26 which interfit with laterally aligned alochiral sets of bores 27-27 spaced longitudinally one set from another in the carriage top member 21. This facilitates releasably fixing the pressure member at selected spacing from the shoulder 25. The carriage is also provided with keepers 28-28 which prevent accidental separation of the carriage 20 from the frame 11.

A pulley 29, journaled on an axially vertical spindle 30 selectively disposed in one of the anchoring points or sockets 31, rotates in a horizontal plane which is coincident to the plane of rotation of the laterally spaced pulleys 32-32 journaled for rotation about vertical axes fixed with respect to one end member 13 as by fittings 34.

A rubber, or the like, band 35 is trained about the pulleys and yieldably biases the carriage toward one end of its path of travel from end to end of the frame 11 as indicated by the double-ended arrow 36. The amount of force required to move the carriage 20 against the resilience of band 35 is varied by repositioning the spindle 30 along the carriages anchor points 31 toward and away from the pulleys 32.

In use, one may lie prone and actuate the carriage to exercise many muscles including the front and rear femoral muscles. The frame may be turned end for end to require effort against the tension of band 35 during either the act of crooking or straightening the leg.

In like manner, one may be seated in a char as shown in FIG. 1. The shoulder 24 and the pressure member 25 admit of either pulling or pushing against the tension of band 35 as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. In a physiotherapeutic contrivance having a frame adapted to be supported upon a surface proximate to an invalid;

a carriage reciprocally moveable on said frame over a predetermined path;

an improved variable tensioning means comprising:

an endless elastic band;

a pair of pulleys spaced laterally of the direction of movement of said carriage and fixed at one end of said frame for rotation about vertical axes and substantially in the same horizontal plane;

a pulley rotatable about a vertical axle releasably fixed at one of plural anchoring points on said carriage spaced along the direction of movement of said carriage for rotation substantially in said plane; and

said band trained about said pulleys.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

said frame and carriage have cooperating rails and rollers for mobilizing said carriage; and

means interconnecting said frame and carriage to prevent accidental separation thereof.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein:

said carriage has a pressure member removably and adjustably affixed for engagement by an invalids extremity.

justably affixed for selective placement along the direction of movement of and upon the carriage to project upwardly above the general top surface of said carriage for engagement by an invalid s extremity.

I I i i 

1. In a physiotherapeutic contrivance having a frame adapted to be supported uPon a surface proximate to an invalid; a carriage reciprocally moveable on said frame over a predetermined path; an improved variable tensioning means comprising: an endless elastic band; a pair of pulleys spaced laterally of the direction of movement of said carriage and fixed at one end of said frame for rotation about vertical axes and substantially in the same horizontal plane; a pulley rotatable about a vertical axle releasably fixed at one of plural anchoring points on said carriage spaced along the direction of movement of said carriage for rotation substantially in said plane; and said band trained about said pulleys.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein: said frame and carriage have cooperating rails and rollers for mobilizing said carriage; and means interconnecting said frame and carriage to prevent accidental separation thereof.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein: said carriage has a pressure member removably and adjustably affixed for engagement by an invalid''s extremity.
 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein: said carriage has an upwardly projecting shoulder fixed parallel to and at one defining edge disposed to extend laterally of the direction of said reciprocal movement.
 5. The invention of claim 2 wherein: said carriage has a pressure member removably and adjustably affixed for selective placement along the direction of movement of and upon the carriage to project upwardly above the general top surface of said carriage for engagement by an invalid''s extremity. 